'99 Election: Surry Sheriff

Civic activities: Member of the Virginia Sheriffs' Association, National Sheriffs' Association, Riverside Regional Jail board of directors, Surry County Highway Commission, special committee with State Police to study runaway juveniles, chairman of State Audit Committee, Vice chairman of Riverside Community Criminal Justice Board, past chairman of Crater Criminal Justice Academy Board of Directors

Elected offices held: Appointed sheriff in December 1990. Elected for the office of sheriff in 1991

Key issues:

1. One of my issues would be drugs. Even though we made 14 drug arrests in the last 12 months, I am in the process of joining a drug task force to help combat the drug problem in Surry County.

2. Another issue in my community is community relations. Although I believe I, and my department, have a good relationship with the citizens of Surry County, I would like to enhance that relationship by exploring and implementing strategies that will educate citizens about crime and how to avoid being a victim of a crime and in the process, reduce crime in the County. I feel that this can be accomplished by the community policing program. Community policing is a philosophy management style and organizational strategy that promotes pro-active problem solving and police community partnership to address the causes of crime, violence, drug abuse and fear, as well as other community issues.

3. An issue that is very dear to all of us, that our children in the school system have the safest atmosphere that is conducive to higher learning. I would like to provide a full-time school resource officer, to join forces with the DARE program and the Class Action program already in existence in our schools. It is my intention to seek aid through state and federal grants to fund this position.

Jerry L. Stivers

Age: 44

Occupation: Nuclear security officer at the nuclear-powered Surry Power Station

Education: One year of Paul D. Camp Community College, graduate of Crater Criminal Justice Academy, Academy of Staff Development for correctional facilities and Nuclear Security Training

Civic activities: Member of Surry Volunteer Rescue Squad, Surry Ruritan Club and Conway Baptist Church

Elected offices held: None

Key issues:

1. Drug sales and trafficking - I would set up a drug task force involving other agencies and dedicate one officer to performing this duty on a continuous basis. This task force will work on stopping the drug sales in Surry County and gathering intelligence to intercept drug trafficking into the County. With this effort, we can stop the outside influences from using our youth and other citizens to make their illegal money. This program will also stop a lot of other related crimes that occur in this county.

2. Educating the youth on drugs, alcohol and abuse - I would like to see our youth receive more education in the schools, such as DARE, and more time spent on these programs. The sheriff's office would provide an officer to the school who could spend more time on these issues and, along with other agencies such as Social Services, classes could be provided on physical and sexual abuse. These programs, along with a school crime-solvers program, could assist in identifying problem youth and perhaps help us stop any violent behavior before it begins.

3 Health, Welfare and Quality of Life Issues - The sheriff's office would set up a volunteer program with the elderly and handicapped citizens who have no one to care for them. They would call the sheriff's office on a toll-free line every morning to check in. If no call were received, a deputy would be dispatched to check on the welfare of that person. Medical alert calls are already received from the public housing unit in Surry's Lebanon Village Apartments. I would also have the deputies and dispatchers attend an Emergency Medical Technician course to prepare them for this type of call or any call where medical services might be needed.